Refrigerating apparatus



C. F. HENNEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS June 14, 1932.

Filed July 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3544/ ATTORNEYS C. F. HENNEYREFRIGERATING APPARATUS June 14, 1932.

3 Sheefos-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1930 INVgTOR ATTORNEYS e 14, 1932- c.F. HENNEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July v17, 1930INZEFOR BY W 34/ ATTZNEYS Patented .Fune E4, 1932 I UNITED: STATESPATENT? o-FF cF.

CHARLES; F. HENNEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FBIGIDAIBE CORPORATION,OF

- DAYTON, OHIO, CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFBIGEBATING APPARATUSApplication filed my 17,

is to insure the free and natural Circulation of V refrigerant in theducts of an evaporator of the type in which the ducts depend from andreceive liquid refrigerant from a reservoir.

In certain types of refrigerating systems, a blanket of oil floats onthe liquid refrigerant in the reservoir of the evaporator.

' Another object of the present invention to intensify the agitation ofthis blanket of Oll. p A still further object of the invention is toprovide a cooling unit of large capacity which will occupy little spaceand which may be easily assembled.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred type of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved cooling unit together with adiagrammatic representation of the remainder of a refrigeration system;y

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the header or tank portion of the coolingunit;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the cooling unit;

Fig. 4 shows the cooling unit mounted in a commercial refrigeratorcabinet;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig 2; v

ig. 6 shows a front view of a modified form of cooling unit, and

Fig. 7 is a side view of the modified form. Referring to the drawings,there is shown diagrammatically for illustrative purposes, arefrigerating system of the compressor-condenser-expander type includinga compressor 21 for compressing the refrigerant, prefery ably sulphurdioxide, and for forwarding it,

to the condenser 22 where it is liquefied and collected in the regeiver23. The actuating means for the compressor comprises a motor 24connected by pulley and belt means 25 1930. Serial No. 468,555.

to the compressor. A supply conduit 26 supplies llquid refrigerant tothe evaporator or cooling unit 27 where the liquid refrigerant vaporizesbecause of the absorption of heat and is returned to the compressorthrough the return-conduit28. A pressure responsive switch means 29 ispreferably connected to the return conduit 28 for'controlling themotor'24 .to provide alternating operating and idle periods of thecompressor according to the pressure and'consequently the temperature ofthe evaporator.

The cooling unit 27 comprises a header or tank portion 30 which forms areservoir for liquid refrigerant and a plurality of looped ducts31 whichcarry a plurality of spaced parallel vertical cross fins 32 forincreasing the area of heat transfer. Each of the ducts .31 has one endconnected into the lower portion of the header or tank member as shownat 33 from which point the duct extends downwardly a suitable distanceforming the drop tube portion and then is bent through 90 as shown at 34from which point it extends horizontally through the fins 32 and, uponpassing through, its direction is,

reversed and the duct extends upwardly pass ing backwardly and forwardlyhorizontally through the banks of fins in serpetine fash ion, reversingits direction after each pass through the banks of fins in serpentinefashheader or tank member 30 at its side as shown at 36 (Figs. land 5).The ducts3l throughout their winding path each lie in a single plane,the ducts being arranged side by side in parallel planes.

Within the header or tank member 30 is a float member comprising thefloat ball and the float ball arm 51 which regulates the level 52 ofliquid refrigerant within the cooling unit. The float'ball arm 51 ispivoted 21653 and operates a needle valve 5.4: Whichcontrols the supplyof liquid refrigerant com-' ing through the conduit 26. The serpentineportion of the duct 31 preferably connects into the header substantiallyat the level of the-liquid refrigerant (seeFig. 5), which in. thepreferred type of headeris maintained at approximately the center lineof the tank member 30., Oil, whiclris delivered with the liquidrefrigerant from the crank case of the compressor, tends to accumulatewithin the cooling unit and floats as a layer on the surface 52 of theliquid refrigerant. By connec'ting the end of the serpentine portion ofthe duct 31 into the header or tank member at substantially the level;of the liquid refrigerant, the gaseous refrigerant entering the headeror tank member, bubbles through this,

layer of oil indicated at 55 and intensifies the agitation thereof.

By increasing the agitation of the oil, gaseous refrigerant can morereadily pass-therethrough and the oil is carried more readily with thegaseous refrigerant to the outlet of the evaporator. "In this manneronlya thin blanket of oil will float on the liquid refrigerant. Byarranging so that only a thin blanket of oil is present, the fiow ofrefrigerant through the evaporator is more even and therefore thetemperature can be more readily regulated. Also, the system operatesmore efliciently with a thinner blanket .of oil because gaseousrefrigerant will more readily pass through the thin blanket and in -thismanner the back pressure above the blanket will be relatively. close tothe presa cooling unit of approximately one-half the.

f ma be used.

sure of the refrigerant below the blanket. Thus, the compressor operatesat a higher and therefore a more efiicient back pressure.

The fins 32 are made in sections 37 each receiving the serpentineportion of a pair of the looped ducts 31 and have elongated holes 38each having a flange bordering each of the holes.- These elongated holesreceive the serpentine looped portions 40 of the duct 31 as shown inFigs. 1 and 3.

In manufacturing cooling units on a commercial scale, it becomesnecessary to provide different sizes and for this purpose fins have beenmade in sections so that the number of different parts required fordifferent sizes is reduced to-a minimum. For a small size cooling unittwo of the sections 37 of fins andfour of the looped ducts 31 togetherwith a short header or tank memberl may be used, making size of the unitshown in Fig. 3. For a slightly larger cooling unit three sections andsix of the looped ducts may be used. The large size of cooling unit isshown in Fig. 3 and contains four sections of fins and eight of thelooped ducts with the correspondingly longer header. If desired, alonger tank member with more sections and looped ducts 11 manufacturingthe. cooling unit the looped ducts 31 are first bent into the form shownin Fig. 1.' A pair of these bent ducts are taken and a plurality of thefins'32 are pressed upon the bent ducts after which the now completedsection is placed side by side with several other sections which arethen connected together by suitable means such as the strips 41 and 42which are soldered, welded or secured in any other suitable manner tothe upper and lower edges of they end fins of each section. Thisassembly is-then dip-soldered and finally the ends of the looped duct 31are connected into the header at the points 33 and 36 (Fig. 1) andsilver-soldered to make a permanent joint.

\ It is often desired in some types of refrigerator cabinets to have acooling unit which may be placed within anarrowspace. Bearing this inmind applicant has shown a modification '(Figs. 6 and 7) in which theheader or tank member 61 is placed parallel to the serpentine ducts 62and the sections of fins 63.

' The outer drop tubes 64 depend from the lower portion of the header ortank member,

extending downwardly, passing outside of the protruding portions 65 ofthe serpentine portion of the ducts 62 and at their lower ends 66 make aright angle turn and extend horizontally and then upwardly in serpentinefashion and enter the header or tank member 61 at its end portion. Theinner ducts 67 depend from thebottom portion of the header or tankmember 61 and extend downwardly, passing inside of the protruding endsof each of the ser entineportions of the inner ducts, and at the lowerend of the drop portion, of eachof the inner ducts make a right angleturn, extending horizontally, and then upwardly, in serpentine fashion,and connect into the end of the header or tank member 61 in a mannersimilar to that described for the ducts 62.

It has been found desirable to keep the difference in height between theupper connection and lower connection of all the ducts the same. In thismodification the two center ducts have had their drop tube connected atthe extreme bottom portion of the headerand their top portion somewhatbelow the center of the end of the header whereas the side ducts havetheir drop tubes connected at a more remote point from the bottom pointof the header and have their upper ends connected substantially at thecenter line of the header or tank member.

The fins in the modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are assembled uponthe serpentine ducts in sections which are connected together andfinally the ends of the serpentine ducts are connected into the headerin a manner similar to that explained for the modification shown inFigs. 1 to'4 inclusive.

By applicants construction a natural circulation is provided. The coldliquid refrigerant first passes down the finless dro tube portion of theducts, which portion a sorbs little heat, and then passes up through thefinned serpentine portion where the liquid pendable, natural,circulation which increases the capacity of the cooling unit byfacilitating more rapid heat transfer.

In Fig. 4, for illustrative purposes, an 1nstallation of apfplicantscooling unit within a commercial re rigerator cabinet 57 is sho'wn. Airwithin the top of the refrigerator passes downwardly between the-fins 32and gives-its heat up to the fins and thus being cooled, passesdownwardly to the bottom of the refrigerator to cool articles ferredform, it-is to be understood that other forms might be adoptedgallcoming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a cooling unit for refrigerating apparatus, the combination of aheader adapted to contain liquid refrigerant and a floating layer oflubricant, means for regulating the level of the liquid refrigerant, anda looped duct having one end depending from the header and connectedthereto to receive; liquid refrigerant therefrom and having the otherend connected into the header at the liquid refrigerant level.

2. In a cooling unit for refri eating ap aratus, the combination of ahea er adapte to contain liquid refrigerant and a floating layer oflubricant,- means for regulating the level of the liquidrefrigerant,-and a looped duct having one end depending from the headerand connected thereto to receive liquid refrigerant therefrom, said ductextending downwardly a suitable distance and then extending upwardly inserpentine fashion and having its other end connected into the header atthe liquid refrigerant level.

3. In a coolin unit for refrigerating appa ratus, the com mation of atank member .adapted to contain liquid refrigerant, means to regulatethe'level of the liquid refrigerant within the tank member and means topro- -vide a natural, c'irculation of said liquid re:

frigerant comprising a looped duct having one enddependin from thebottom portion of said tank mein er and having the other end connectinginto said tank member substantiallyat the level ofthe liquid line.

stored in this portion of the refrigerator and passesupwardly to the to;1 of the refrigerator and again re-- one end dependin of said tank memend connecting stantially at t r and having the other into. said tankmember sube level of the liquid line and having a plurality of finsthereon for absorbin heat.

11 testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

In a cooling unit for refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a tankmember adapted to contain liquid refrigerant, means to regulate thelevel of the liquid refrigerant within the tank member and means to1provide a natural circulation of said liquid refrigerant comprising alooped duct having CHARLES F. HENNEY.

from the bottom portion

